


Star Cartography

by TapewormMagicalGirl



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Astronomy, F/F, I didn't get a chance to sneak an 'everypony' in there, I haven't watched this show in five years, I wrote this for me but you can read it too if you want, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Major Original Character(s), Old Age, Original Character(s), Past Relationship(s), Pre-Canon, apparent and unexplained immortality, author doesn't understand pony canon, but rest assured I'll find a way to weasel it in somewhere else, nothing serious though they're just talking about star swirl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:13:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28073757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TapewormMagicalGirl/pseuds/TapewormMagicalGirl
Summary: "There were ponies who looked at the sky and asked why. Those who read the stars and mapped out stories, found patterns in the spaces and gave them names. That I was not there for. I was not the first to understand the night in that way, but I needed to know how they did it. Answer me this, Twilight: how do you write a prophecy?"
Relationships: Princess Luna/Original Female Character(s)





	Star Cartography

**Author's Note:**

> I remembered I made this character when I was still really into mlp and decided it was high time I reworked her story and wrote something self indulgent in the process  
> this takes place before the events of the show and also takes place in the canon of the reflections comics because despite everything I still ADORE that series and it makes for some good ol' angsting

“Tell me more about Star Swirl, you studied under him, right?”

Astra chuckled to herself, “there it is. Sometimes I fear you visit just to ask me about him.”

Twilight gulped, the book she was flicking through fell to the ground with a loud thump. Astra laughed, a deep rattling laugh that seemed to shake her right down to her bones. She made slow work of sorting out the pile of books for Twilight. Ancient tomes and all that. The kind of thing she couldn’t just find in a library. Her ivory mane dragged across the floor behind her as she moved, kicking up dust wherever it went. Astra wasn’t lying when she said she didn’t get out much.

“I am only joking, my child. I enjoy your company. Ask whatever you would like.”

Twilight had found Astra’s cabin while on what she would call a “stress-relieving walk”. She’d been studying all night and that afternoon when Spike had finally crashed she’d just left. A brain break maybe? That was what it was. She was stressed and needed to get out, and somehow she’d found herself on a carriage down the mountain.

Astra’s cabin was deep in the woods surrounding Canterlot. Twilight saw the plume of smoke from her chimney long before she saw anything else. The cabin itself was located in a clearing in the woods. It was a quaint little thing, quite the juxtaposition from the observatory towering over the top of it. Twilight didn’t know what to make of it at first, but she found herself drawn to it all the same.

The inside was dishevelled, books and teacups and star charts were strewn about all over the place. The corners and the ceiling were strung with velvety cobwebs and dust motes drifted wearily in the few columns of light left in the late afternoon.

The place looked abandoned, the only sign of life was the fire crackling away in the fireplace. Twilight had become increasingly aware of the fact that she had, in fact, just entered a stranger’s house. An eclectic stranger with a collection of books older than hers.

“Tea?” Astra asked, clearing up some cups on her way out of the room.

“Oh, sure.” Twilight kicked her hoof and Astra laughed again.

“I am old, dear. Let me sit a moment and I will answer your questions.”

Twilight had taken to visiting every so often, Astra insisted it was no trouble. Astra barely saw anyone, she preferred to stay engrossed in her studies. Celestial cartography, she charted stars. Or more specifically, the relations of stars to magic. What entwined the placements of celestial bodies to prophecies, how did the two become so important to each other?

There was a mirror, she said once, a mirror that opened every 30 moons. It belonged to Celestia, she had seen it back when she used to visit with Star Swirl. She never learned exactly where it went. She’d been through one just like it though, one that needed a spell to open, but then she got distant and Twilight decided it was best to drop the subject.

Astra knew Twilight’s name the first time they met, she didn't say why.

Twilight adjusted the stack of books Astra was lending her. She’d skimmed over the titles a couple of times over, but they were too worn to really make out.

The two weren’t exactly friends, she wasn’t sure what she’d even call their arrangement. They provided company for each other. Astra gave her stories and spells and tea, Twilight gave her someone to talk to.

If she was being polite she’d say Astra looked wizened, if she were being truthful she’d say Astra looked like she would crumble any second. She was old, probably much older than she was letting on. Twilight didn’t pry, she just sat around watching as she walked herself from room to room, looking at the stars and sorting books and making tea. Her mane and tail were so long that they trailed across the floor behind her, almost white against her deep blue coat. “I have not gotten it cut in a thousand years,” she’d said once, Twilight wasn’t sure if she was joking or not.

Astra appeared through the doorway with a tray of tea and cookies. Homemade, Twilight noted. The two made themselves comfortable on the rug in Astra’s almost-library. Astra sipped her tea for a moment, choosing her words carefully.

“I was never exactly Star Swirls student, but that does not mean I never learned anything from him.”

Twilight’s look of confusion prompted her to continue.

“Many depict him nowadays as a mystical scholar, and while that is true in many senses he was equal parts as peculiar as he was intelligent.”

“Well yeah, you know he created over 200 spells, right? He was the most important conjurer-”

“Of the pre-classical era, yes.”

Twilight blushed, “sorry, continue,”

“I was the first to study the stars,”

Twilight’s teacup clattered against the saucer with a sickening crack. “No, you weren’t.”

Astra smiled, “there were ponies who looked at the sky and asked why. Those who read the stars and mapped out stories, found patterns in the spaces and gave them names. That I was not there for. I was not the first to understand the night in that way, but I needed to know how they did it. Answer me this, Twilight: how do you write a prophecy?”

Twilight sipped and thought, but every answer she came up with left her asking more questions.

Astra smiled, a genuine one this time, not the kind she shot at Twilight whenever she found her amusing. “Now you understand,” she gestured to her flank, “this is what I was born to do, and I may never find an answer but I will spend as long as I have trying my best to understand. That is how I met Star Swirl. I needed to understand just as he needed to create. We studied together, and he brought me to Canterlot to work with the princesses.”

“Princesses?” Twilight asked, but Astra grinned in a way that told her it wasn’t worth trying to pursue. “How come I’ve never heard of you? Star Swirl was amazing but apparently so are you! Why haven’t I ever seen your research before? Why did I never even know you were still alive?”

Astra tapped her hoof on her chin, “there is a lot I cannot explain to you just yet, you will find out in time. Ask me that question again, you will know when to do it.”

Twilight huffed and Astra chuckled, “a little bit of patience, young one. I promise I will tell you everything you need to know, you just need to trust me. But, to tide you over in the meantime,” she gestured with her head to the top shelves of a nearby cupboard, “almost all of them are kept in his library, but I have a few of Star Swirl’s original notes.”

Twilight shot up, “I can read them?”

Astra waved her hoof over, beckoning the books onto the pile of tomes next to Twilight. “As long as you promise me to take good care of them, they are irreplaceable. But I trust you will have no problems with that.” Astra winked at that and stood up.

Twilight’s empty teacup was lifted from in front of her. Astra heaved her way up and out of the room, but paused in the doorway to her kitchen, “is there anything else you wish to ask?”

“Do you think I’d have what it takes to be as great as him?”

Astra laughed, “my dear, you have no idea.”

By the time Twilight made it back to her dorm the moon was high in the sky. Spike was draped over his bed dead asleep, his dinner sat half-eaten on a plate next to him.

“Sorry little guy,” Twilight whispered, placing his blanket over him, “I won’t be out so long next time, promise.”

Spike hummed and snuggled into his blanket, and Twilight figured she should probably do the same.

She made her way over to her bed, she was too tired to sort the books. She’d do it tomorrow, full Dewey Decimal Classification. For now, she just needed to sleep, her hooves were killing her.

She yelped when she heard the clunk of Astra’s books hitting the floor. In her tired daze, she’d forgotten to take her satchel off and the contents lay strewn about everywhere. She saved herself a glance over the books, too long and she’d be reading all night. Her gaze lingered on an old leather-bound notebook, it was laying pages down and she picked it up quickly before the spine cracked.

The cover was inscribed with a familiar cutie mark, it was one of Star Swirl’s old journals. Inside was a diagram of a mirror surrounded with hasty drafts of what appeared to be an opening spell. She couldn’t make out much of it and she desperately wanted to analyse every last inch of the page but she stowed her curiosity.

She went to put the journal back with the rest of the books but was halted by something staring up at her. On the floor where the book landed was a note. It was small and yellowed with age, and it was written in handwriting she didn’t recognise.

“Princess,

I have never been good with feelings. I will not sit here and write a note educating you on your choices, in the end I know I cannot stop you. I have enclosed all the information I can on reversing Star Swirl’s spell.

I was not there for my Luna, she was suffering and I was not there for her.

Should Star Swirl find out I am helping you break his spell I am sure he will never work with me again. However I want for you to be happy and if this is the way then I have made peace with the consequences.

Please extend my love to your Luna and my deepest apologies that I cannot be with her.

I wish you the best of luck.”


End file.
